St. Landry democrat., 1887-02-12
THE LADIES INVITED TO INTER
POSE FOR DIR. FoRD'S PARDON.
N. o. Chronicle.

N. ". (UfolncW.
The States in behalf of pardon for
DR.. Ford, calls to its aid the ladies OF
the city, who are presumed to nave
full knowledge of all the facts which
have not vet been given in an authentic
and judicial form to the. public; The
following is our neighbours appeal:
A prominent gentlemen of this city,, by re-
quest of a number of ladies, suggests that the
States call upon the ladies of N. o. to come
forward and sign petitions Tor the prompt anu
full pardon of DR.. 7. g. Ford.
We act upon the suggestion most heartily.
DR.. Ford deserves the recognition or ali sensl.
tive women, both because he struck III heiall
of the sancty OF every family circle III the
land and because of the tenderness he dis
played for her il whom he and his children
had been so deeply, cruelty and lrreparanly,
manslaughter 50 that they might not he SUB,
.jected to the narrowing ordeal OF having all
the story baZoned to the world
Ladies of New Orleans. on behalf or mum
her among the gentest, nObleSt and pureSt or
your sex, and on its own part, the states APP
peas to you to come forth bravery ana sign
aud present petitions to the Board OF ParuolS
and TO the Governor to promptly pardon Dr
Ford, and in doing So emphasize more clearly
still the sentiment and the higher, II llHWHt-
ten law, that female virtue Is more precious
in our minds than even human life, and that
he who invadts the domestic circle Is an outlaw
in whose behalf no voice Will be Ntteu Ill TINS
city who may he Smitten to death by the htls-
reach
The expression by our ladies of their
sentiments in behalf of the sanctity of
every domestic circle that female viz
tue is more precious than even human
life, and that he who invades the
domestic circle is an outlaw in whose
behalf no voice will be lifted in this
city and who may be smitten to death
by the husband and father and whose
slayer. no law can reach, may as an alb
stract proposition command the assent
of our ladies' In fact would be quite
superogatory to ask their assent to the
proposition. and might expose them to
the criticism of those who would not re-
gard it as consistent with that conscious
sense of dignity and reliance in their
own purity, and with the m0destY OF
their sex to have their names subscribed
to such declaration.
When, however, the declaration is
made in behalf OF one accused OF and
confessing a crime and awaiting his
sentence, we trust that the lady sigma
lures will be supplied with the testimo-
ny in authentic form, before they make
the application of the abstract PROPOSE
ton so eloquently set forth by the
States in the case OF Dr. Ford.
If our ladies are to assume judicial
functions or those of Il pardoning board,
they should be supplied with at least
some satisfactory evidence upon which
to base their petition. They should,
sex now living in the city is seriously
involved in this unhappy affair, and
ought to be heard at least in her own
defense, against the implied criminality
conveyed in the confession of the ac
cused That confession may be an act
of such heroism and self devotion, as
the States assumes, but it appears to
our Judgment that there would be more
herosm in the vindication and pali-
alton, than in the concealment and
denial of hearing of the poor woman
in her own defense and extenuation
There is a remarkable coincidence of
the pending OF two criminal trials OF
the same character and involving al |
most an identical state of facts, that of
DIR. Ford in our criminal court and the
case of young Goodwin, accused of the |
murder of young Dalton, the evidence
Memphis court. Young Goodwin sets |
up the plea on an Indictment for muir
der, that he committed the act in vim |
dication of his sisters honor That |
sister was married lady with a living
husband and was much older than the |
young man to whom it was shown by
the testimony that she made the adj
vances and whom she pursued with her
letters, in spite of the circumstances of |
the mother of the young man, who
threatened to inform her husband of |
her improper conduct.
The evidence consisting of facts and !
letters of the most discriminating tenor,
were presented in this case. These |
were entirely unknown to the brother
of the lady who in the hot blood of the
first discovery of his sisters weakness
proceeded to execute the higher Law"
by Staying the young victim of woman's
wiles.
He is now on trial for murder, not
having set up the plea of manslaughter,
and had it accepted by the prosecutor
If convicted, we hardly apprehend that
the ladies of Memphis would be called |
on to sign petition for the pardon of
the accused in order to emphasize more
clearly still the sentiment and the !
higher unwritten law, that female |
virtue is more precious than life